


Problem

by Shiori_Makiba



Series: Problem Child [3]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drabble, Ichigo Is A Puzzle, Reasonable Authority Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-03 20:13:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16332716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiori_Makiba/pseuds/Shiori_Makiba
Summary: Ukitake Juushirou has a problem.Sequel to Responsibility.





	Problem

Ukitake Juushirou, Captain of the Thirteenth Division, sent his two guests into the sleeping quarters of a small, out of the way Ukitake Clan property they had decamp to not long into Kuchiki-san's explanation. He sat down, poured another cup of tea, and began to think.

He had a situation on his hands. A situation that if it was not handled delicately and extremely well would get ugly. Very ugly.

Kuchiki Rukia, his missing unseated officer, had finally turned up. Which was good. She was alive. Which was even better. She was missing almost all of her powers. Which was bad. She had transferred her powers to a spiritually strong human teenager. Which was **horrible**.

Not in every way. He was glad that this young man and his family hadn't had their souls devoured. He was glad that Kuchiki-san was compassionate enough to attempt desperate measure to save their (and her) lives.

But the Central 46 and the General-Captain had views on Shinigami giving their powers to humans. And the short answer was **don't**. Unless you wanted a brief and fatal encounter with as soul-destroying phoenix.

They had their reasons. Many of them were even sensible. Chief among these that, most of the time, it didn't work.

If the human and Shinigami were lucky, the attempt simply failed all together. If they were even luckier, the attempt did no damage to their souls. Most were **not** lucky. Most died. The lucky ones died almost instantly with their souls intact. The unlucky ones died slower but with their souls intact. The **really** unlucky ones died in a process that ripped their soul to pieces, slowly and painfully.

Even it worked, something else went wrong. Kuchiki-san was a case in point. It looked she had simply transferred too much power. But Juushirou wasn't entirely sure it was that simple. There were certain things that didn't quite match for that explanation.

It was possible to transfer all or nearly all of one's powers into another person. It wasn't very common. Especially with Shinigami powers. The bulk of them rested in one's zanpakuto and the sword spirits seldom allowed so much of themselves to be pulled away from their partner. Very seldom. Like most of them fought tooth and nail when it looked like they were being ripped completely or nearly completely away their partner. It was speculated **that** was what caused the deaths and soul damage in the survivors.

The other theory was that most spiritually aware human couldn't handle that level of energy without being damaged or shattering completely. Juushirou personally thought it was a little bit of both.

He made a mental note to smuggle Retsu in here. Someone needed to look at Kuchiki-san's soul damage and see what, if anything, could be done about it. He hoped something could be done. He did **not** want to explain to Byakuya that his sister had suffered permanent soul damage. As it was, the younger Shinigami was not going to happy to hear she had been injured.

Juushirou sighed. And he had been making so much progress on talking Byakuya into letting his sister have the rank she deserved.

Kurosaki-san didn't look like he had suffered any soul damage. Which was little odd, especially when posed next to how damaged Kuchiki-san's aura looked. Of course, just because he didn't look damage didn't mean that he was. Sometimes the worst injuries **aren't** the obvious ones.

Maybe he was worried about nothing but he found it odd that if you looked at Kuchiki-san, it was obvious that Sode no Shirayuki had started fighting the transfer but not if you looked at Kurosaki-san's aura. According to the reports he had read, Kurosaki-san's aura should be **worse** than Rukia's, shredded by Sode no Shirayuki fighting to get back to where she belonged. Even now, Sode no Shirayuki should be struggling against his soul's grip on her. Either she isn't or there is something odd going on here.

Something more odd. Having borrowed Shinigami powers just might be the least odd thing about that young man.

Not least of which was his heart-breaking resemblance to Kaien . . .

“Shirou?”

Startled, Juushiro looked up to see the concerned face of Shunsui . . . and Retsu. Why . . . oh, he usually only sped away from his division headquarters to this spot like that if his illness was acting up to point of making stray lightning bolts a possibility . . .

At least now he didn't have to think of excuse to get Retsu out here. And Shunsui could help him come up with a plan to keep Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-san alive.

“I am well today,” he said, smiling apologetically. “But I do have a problem you two could help me with.”


End file.
